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An Unexpected Regret

One of the concepts taught in MBSR (and elsewhere) that I struggle with is: we are not our thoughts. “The mind has a mind of its own”

Not all thoughts are true. Not all thoughts are important. “It’s only a thought” as our MBSR program facilitator Lucinda likes to say.

In the group discussion I talked about my difficulty with this concept. Lucinda asked me if I had trouble with the concept as applied to my feet. “Of course not” I scoffed. If I lost my feet and life would becomes difficult, but if I lost my thoughts I would be unrecognizable”.

She responded that, perhaps I could think of embodiment as a psychological process. “Having feet” is a psychological process, and so is “having thoughts”. I think that’s what she said. I’m still digesting it.

What has stayed with me, somewhat unexpectedly, is the sense of regret I have for taking my feet for granted. I don’t think I’ve ever felt or expressed any appreciation for having them. It’s all been about the mind.

That has now changed. I do appreciate my feet and my goodness my life would be different if I lost them.